Bassam Mahfouz, the London Assembly member for Ealing and Hillingdon, urged ministers and City Hall to back a new package of asylum reforms last week, arguing that London’s prosperity depends on a system that is “fair, efficient, and grounded in compassion”.
The call came during a London Assembly debate last Thursday (4 December 2025), when members backed a motion welcoming the Home Secretary’s consultation on asylum reforms, including changes to refugee status, housing and financial support, and proposals for new safe and legal routes to the UK.
The Assembly also said the reforms “do not go far enough”, and called on the mayor to support their delivery in London and work constructively with the government to implement them.
Speaking to support his amendment on asylum system reforms, Mr Mahfouz criticised the previous Conservative government for “breaking” the immigration system, along with the NHS, economy and housing, leaving both taxpayers and people seeking refuge poorly served. He condemned the closure of safe and legal routes, which he said forced vulnerable people fleeing war and persecution into dangerous journeys and the hands of people smugglers.
Mr Mahfouz said: “London cannot thrive unless our asylum system is fair, efficient, and grounded in compassion. For too long the system has been allowed to crumble, leaving vulnerable people in limbo and placing huge pressure on communities.
“By creating safe and legal routes, speeding up decisions and tackling misinformation, we can build a system that reflects London’s values and treats every person with dignity.”
He highlighted long delays that left asylum seekers unable to work and living on minimal support, often in cramped accommodation, before noting that the Labour government is now speeding up decisions and has already cut hotel use by over 40%, with a commitment to end it this Parliament.
The motion said nearly one-third of asylum seekers were being housed in London hotels, with estimated costs of £15.3bn over the next decade. It also pointed to particular pressure on boroughs around Heathrow, including Hillingdon and Hounslow, where many asylum seekers are initially accommodated before being moved elsewhere.
Alessandro Georgiou, a Conservative London Assembly member who proposed the original motion, said the reforms were welcome but warned that greater “urgency and candour” were needed.
